Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/01/04

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Subject: Re: Super-wide on M6...Opinions, please
From: Bill Welch <Bill.Welch@Pressroom.com>
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 17:00:48 -0800

Wolfgang Sachse wrote:
> 
> Hi Group -
> 
> I want to buy a lens whose field of view is between my
> 360-deg panorama and my 84-deg, 24mm Nikkor. I am looking at
> either the 21mm (Super Angulon or Elmarit) for my M6 or the
> 20mm/f2.8D for my Nikon. I'm prompted to post this here
> because of the number of persons who have experience with a
> super-wide lens on their M-cameras.  (snip)

	I have both the Super Angulon f/3.4 and the Nikkor 20 f/2.8 
manual focus. Both are excellent lenses. Sounds like you have the pluses 
and minuses already figured out. It depends on how you work and what you 
plan to do with them.
 	The Super Angulon won't allow metering on the M6, but that's not 
a problem if you keep it on a second body. I keep mine on an M2. Depth of 
field is so great you can usually just set it for hyperfocal distance and 
not worry about it. In low light, the Leica focusing system is better 
than an SLR for me. The SA will be a little more prone to flare than the 
Nikon when there's  bright light source in the field of view or near it.
	Bottom line for me is the SA for action. It's fine for landscapes 
too, though the SLR permits more precise framing, obviously. As for a 
polarizing filter, you have to be careful not to get vignetting with the 
SLR 20 too. The SA has a bit of natural vignetting at wide aperatures 
that usually gives a pleasing effect of darkening sky edges. I never find 
a need to use a polarizer with it.
	Hope this helps.

Bill Welch